Agents of Atlas: 10 Things You Need to Know

By Matt Brady January 14, 2009 09:07am ET

Jeff Parker on Agents of Atlas

Agents of Atlas #1

We’ve spoken with Agents of Atlas writer Jeff Parker about the
new ongoing series launching from Marvel in February that stars some of
Marvel’s legacy (and by “legacy” we mean pretty old) characters. But we
felt like there were rocks left unturned – questions for readers left
unanswered.

Despite the fact that the original Agents of Atlas
miniseries and specials were critically acclaimed, they found a
relatively smaller audience than most Marvel titles. So how do we try
to counter that? We sat Agents of Atlas editor Mark Paniccia
down to ask the dumb questions. The ones that you might be wondering
about if you’ve never picked up an issue, or only ran into them in the
preview in select Marvel books last week. Don’t worry – we’ll take the
bullet for you.

So – without further ado – here are the ten things you need to know about Agents of Atlas.

Aren’t these heroes old – like way old? How are they here and now, looking young-ish?

Mark Paniccia: Yes, they formed in the 1950s, but through the
wonders of comic book science, none look a day over 25. FBI agent Jimmy
Woo had actually aged like the best of us, but Marvel Boy restored him
to his last psychic impression (shameless plug: see the critically
acclaimed mini series for more details).

Agents of Atlas #1, page 8
And I have to say that, even though these characters hail from back
when Marvel published comics under the Atlas imprint, they have a
certain mojo that makes them work in the present day—a team dynamic
that’s as magic as the best of the Avengers or X-Men rosters.

Starting with the big monkey, who are they?

MP: The big monkey seems to be a fan favorite. Gorilla Man
AKA Ken Hale is a former soldier of fortune who was cursed to
immortality in an incredibly hairy but super strong body. With looks
like that, he’s probably the most cynical Marvel character this side of
Ben Grimm. Jeff tells me there’s a heart of gold somewhere below all
that hair, though, and that we’ll see the more human side of him as we
get further into the series.

Marvel Boy AKA Bob Grayson spent the last half a century off
world and is the most alien of team. There’s a diner scene in the
original mini-series that had readers talking for weeks. This guy had
been living with the native Uranians for the past 50 years and they
ain’t nothing like us. You have to wonder how much humanity is left in
him, and if that’s something the team needs to worry about.

Agents of Atlas #1, page 9
Jimmy Woo was working with the FBI back in the 50s and is what
one would call a master spy. As I mentioned, Marvel Boy restored his
youth but the Uranian technology rebooted his mind as well. So Jimmy
only has memories of life up until the last time he and Marvel Boy saw
each other. He’s a natural leader and a cunning strategist and now he’s
in prime physical condition. A rather formidable opponent to anyone in
the current Marvel U.

M-11, the Human Robot, is one of my favorites. He looks like
something from a B-movie but he’s probably one of the most deadly
machines in the Marvel Universe. I won’t get into what Jeff has in
store for him, but don’t let this “silent type” fool you. There’s more
going on in that silver dome of his than you’d expect.

Namora, vengeful (and gorgeous) daughter of the seven seas.
She’s Prince Namor’s cousin and the powerhouse of the team. Most
recently readers have seen her guest star in Incredible Hercules and she fought beside him during World War Hulk. In Agents she’ll still be smashing buildings and skulls, but you’ll see that her daughter’s death (in Civil War) is tearing her apart inside.

Venus is not the actual goddess of love but what was known in
myth as siren, one of those monstrous beings that lured the sailors of
old to their deaths through beauty and song.

Are they good guys or bad guys? Or does that even matter anymore in this topsy-turvy world of “Dark Reign?”

Agents of Atlas #1, page 16
MP: That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? Jimmy has
inherited a vast and unique criminal organization. If you’re someone
who’s spent most of your life fighting crime and you hit a lottery like
this, you might think that you can change things from the inside. But
how far he’s willing to go to fight evil with evil remains to be seen,
and things could get pretty ugly.

How do they get along with Norman Osborn?

MP: You’ll see in Agents #1 that things get off to a
rocky start. But Norman, being the opportunist he is, will see there’s
an advantage to being in league with such a powerful organization.

What “class” for lack of a better word are they in? Are they on par
with the Avengers? X-Men? Defenders? Not Ready for Prime Time Players?

MP: The other editorial offices wouldn’t be happy if said the
Agents were on par with their guys, so I’ll let the fans decide. The
buzz on the series is more than I hoped for. You guys tell us, is this
the new New Avengers?

How well known are they in the Marvel Universe? Who knows they’re out and about?

MP: They’ve been under the radar up until now. The only reason
people know about them is because they’ve leaked their existence as
part of a master plan. Very soon they will be mixing it up with some of
the Marvel Universe’s heaviest hitters.

Does Jeff Parker just always have an Agents of Atlas story ready to go? He seems to have really clicked with these characters…

Agents of Atlas #1, page 22
MP: When I ran into an online entry of them while doing
research, I immediately sent Jeff the link and called him and we talked
about it for a loooong time. The characters play to Jeff’s
strengths. He was born to write them! I think, whether you are a Marvel
or DC fan, you’ll really enjoy this series and you can see fundamental
influences from both companies in Jeff’s writing.

Where’s their headquarters?

MP: The Atlas Foundation has an underground facility—a secret
city—but, because of the nefarious nature of the people they must work
with, they feel most comfortable in Marvel Boy’s super cool flying
saucer. It’s like the comic book equivalent of the Apple store (I don’t
know about you, but I’d like to live there).

Finally, what gets the ball rolling in issue #1?

MPA sting operation gone awry. An explosion. A battle. A
confrontation with Osborn. An unexpected meal. We set up the status quo
and introduce new elements that show just how dangerous a super hero
undercover operation can be.